Tips – The Hunting Gear Guyhttps://www.huntinggearguy.com
Hunting Equipment ReviewsTue, 22 Jan 2019 22:06:35 +0000en-US
hourly
1 https://www.huntinggearguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/cropped-New-Logo-32x32.pngTips – The Hunting Gear Guyhttps://www.huntinggearguy.com
323222WMR and 17HMR vs 223 Remingtonhttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22wmr-17hmr-vs-223-remington/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22wmr-17hmr-vs-223-remington/#respondTue, 12 Dec 2017 06:39:04 +0000https://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=7299This was an inevitable comparison after doing my 17HMR vs 22WMR article. The sister magnum rimfires are around $0.40/round, while basic 223 ammo is about the same cost and it can be reloaded for quite a bit less. Even if you buy nicer hunting ammo off the shelf, hunting 223 is usually no more than […]

This was an inevitable comparison after doing my 17HMR vs 22WMR article. The sister magnum rimfires are around $0.40/round, while basic 223 ammo is about the same cost and it can be reloaded for quite a bit less. Even if you buy nicer hunting ammo off the shelf, hunting 223 is usually no more than $1 a round. So, can you compare rimfire ammo and centerfire ammo?

Ballistics

With a 40 grain bullet, the 22WMR sends it along at 1880 fps. A 17 HMR will send a bullet that’s half that weight (20 grains) at 2350. A 223 Remington will send a 40 grain bullet screaming downrange at a blistering 3600 fps. If you’re looking for yet more speed, check out the 204 Ruger as it sends a 40 grain bullet out at 3900 fps.

On a coyote with a 6″ vitals area, Maximum Point Blank Range or MPBR for short, is handy to compare how flat they shoot and how far you can smack a yote without having to adjust your reticle or point of aim.

Coyote MPBR

22 WMR: 167 yards (30 grain bullet)

17 HMR: 202 yards (17 grain bullet)

223 Rem: 305 yards (40 grain bullet)

So the 223 Remington really stretches out far, but the 22WMR and 17HMR are no slouches either. That said, the energy each bullet has when they get there is quite different.

Starting out, the 22WMR and 17HMR are around 250-320 ft-lbs, but they’re just not comparable to the centerfire 223 at 1200 ft-lbs of power.

Sound

The 223 burns a ton more powder than the rimfires, but that comes at a cost of loudness. Depending on which study you go off, barrel length, and that kind of thing, 17hmr and 22wmr are around 4 dB louder than 22LR and 223 is about 10 dB louder than 17HMR/22WMR. Note, that because sound pressure is measured in a logarithmic scale, noise power is double for every 3 dB. That means 17 HMR and 22 WMR are around twice the sound power compared with 22LR, and 223 is 3 times louder than 17HMR/22WMR.

Personally, I find that if I’m on a busy gopher field, I’ll use low NRR earplugs (or high NRR ones just barely inserted) when shooting 17HMR. For 223, I’d use earplugs inserted all the way.

There’s also the noise that you cause for other people. Neighbors probably won’t complain about 22’s or 17HMR/22WMR, but 223 is pretty decently loud. You might find this odd, but this is the primary reason I don’t use a .223 for gophers. The fields I shoot on belong to land owners and I don’t want to piss them off with loud gunfire. So I opt for the quieter 17 HMR or a 22LR. For coyotes, I personally think the odd shot is fine, because every shot means one less coyote and most of the land owners around me HATE coyotes with a passion.

Barrel Life

I haven’t fired nearly enough rounds through my 17 HMR to kill the accuracy in the barrel and from my reading, it’ll take a while: about 15,000 rounds to start seeing accuracy dip in a 17HMR or 22WMR. Match shooters who use 223 change barrels over at around 5000 rounds, but those barrels probably have a ton of life still left in them and may be able to stretch out to 10,000.

Conclusion

Comparing a centerfire cartridge against rimfires is a bit silly, but I thought it’d be interesting. Personally, I’m a fan of 223 for coyotes out in Alberta because I see a lot of mid-range shots around 300 yards. On the flipside, I love my 17HMR for high volume gopher shooting because the noise is quite a bit less and it’s easier to carry more rounds in my pocket. If I was shooting gophers on an enormous tract of land with no one around for miles, I might consider using the 223 to stretch out possible shots. For target shooting, I could go for either, but the 223 definitely works better in the 200-400 yard range whereas the 17 HMR and 22 WMR get tossed around with wind and drop quite a bit more at those ranges.

There’s really no clear cut winner here, but instead the right cartridge for the job. There’s a reason all 3 of these cartridges are on the shelf, and I think that you need to choose the one that fits your purpose.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22wmr-17hmr-vs-223-remington/feed/022 WMR vs 17 HMRhttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22-wmr-vs-17-hmr/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22-wmr-vs-17-hmr/#commentsTue, 12 Dec 2017 03:28:26 +0000https://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=727922 Winchester Magnum, or “22 Mag” for short, was the big dog rimfire for decades. Typically running a 30-50 grain bullet at 2200 fps, 1880, or 1530, respectively, it was a big jump over the typical 22 round of a 40 grain bullet at 1200 fps. But now that 17 HMR has been on the […]

22 Winchester Magnum, or “22 Mag” for short, was the big dog rimfire for decades. Typically running a 30-50 grain bullet at 2200 fps, 1880, or 1530, respectively, it was a big jump over the typical 22 round of a 40 grain bullet at 1200 fps. But now that 17 HMR has been on the stage for a few years now, pushing tiny little 17-20 grain bullets at 2375-2650, how do they compare?

22LR vs 22WMR vs 17HMR Trajectory

22LR, 40 grain bullet zeroed at 50:

50 yards: 0 with 101 ft-lbs

100 yards: -6.1″ with 86 ft-lbs

150 yards: -21.1″ with 75 ft-lbs

22WMR, 30 grain bullet zeroed at 50:

50 yards: 0″ with 201 ft-lbs

100 yards: -1.3″ with 159 ft-lbs

150 yards: -7.0″ with 131 ft-lbs

17HMR, 17 grain bullet zeroed at 50:

50 yards: 0 with 182 ft-lbs

100 yards: -0.3″ with 134 ft-lbs

150 yards: -3.1″ with 97 ft-lbs

22WMR vs 17HMR for Gophers

For gophers, I’m less concerned about energy and more concerned about Maximum Point Blank Range, or MPBR for short. This number tells you how you can zero your rifle and have it stay within a certain measurement. For gophers, I use a 3″ (1.5″ up or down from center) measure because that’s usually good enough to do the job. While 22’s struggle to stay within that measurement within 80 yards (105 with the stinger), the 22WMR bumps it way up to around 110-135 yards depending a lot on bullet weight. Lighter, faster bullets stay in the air for a shorter period of time and therefore fall less, but for the 22WMR that sweet spot falls on the 30-40 grain bullets. Most of the 17 HMR’s can stay within that 3″ gopher pocket all the way out to 165 yards, with very little difference in trajectory between loadings.

Big win to the 17 HMR on not having to hold over for gophers for long distances.

22 WMR vs 17 HMR for Coyotes

For coyotes, I want more energy on target with a rimfire. They just don’t put out a ton of energy to start with, so I’ll take all I can get. The 22 WMR starts with more power more than comparable 17 HMR rounds and due to using much heavier rounds, they hang onto that energy much further out. So if I were to use a rimfire for hunting coyotes, I’d probably opt for the 22 Mag over the 17 Hornady Magnum.

I know a lot of people who hunt coyotes with 22LR’s, 17 HMR’s, and 22 WMR’s, but I’ll continue using a 223 Remington. I typically hunt in areas where longer shots around 300 yards come up, and the 223’s ballistics and terminal effectiveness are on a completely other level compared with either the 22WMR or 17HMR.

Cost

Ammo and rifle cost used to favor the 22 WMR, but recently 17 HMR has caught up. They’re both basically the same price now for rifles and ammo: a bit more for the rifle compared with one designed for 22LR, and about $17-$20 for a box of 50 rounds.

Notably, the $0.40 cents per round of 22WMR or 17HMR is right around the cost of basic blaster quality 223. I think they should be cheaper. If you splurge on hunting grade 223, you’re paying about a buck a round, but for massively improved downrange performance with double the MPBR and 5-6X more energy at the muzzle compared with magnum rimfire rounds.

Summary

Do you need to whomp a midsize varmint like a groundhog or a coyote at close range? If so, the 22WMR is a better tool than the 17 HMR. It’s also great at extending effective “point and click” range on smaller gophers like the Richardson’s Ground Squirrel and will waste less meat than the 17 HMR. But if you need a bit more range or you want varmint annihilation, the 17 HMR does a better job. It sends bullets out much faster, bullet fragmentation and massive damage are all but guaranteed, and there’s less to worry about for those 50-150 yard shots.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/22-wmr-vs-17-hmr/feed/1The Best Canadian Firearms Media: Forums, Blogs, Podcasts, and Magazineshttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/best-canadian-firearms-forums-blogs-podcasts/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/best-canadian-firearms-forums-blogs-podcasts/#commentsTue, 21 Nov 2017 06:40:45 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=2372I’ve been around guns all my life, but only picked up an earnest interest in them as a hobby since 2003. In that time, the internet landscape for Canadian shooters has grown, and I’d argue that we’ve got a couple of really cool outlets considering our population. So where do you go to get more […]

I’ve been around guns all my life, but only picked up an earnest interest in them as a hobby since 2003. In that time, the internet landscape for Canadian shooters has grown, and I’d argue that we’ve got a couple of really cool outlets considering our population. So where do you go to get more gun talk (other than this website, of course **Update Nov 20, 2017: I’ve removed any media that hasn’t been active in the last year and updated some info.**

Best Canadian Gun Forums

CanadianGunNutz is the most obvious one and bears mentioning the first. The simple look of vBulletin may fool you, but this site hosts thousands of visitors per day and is likely the most popular firearms forum in Canada. Unlike many of the websites in Canada, this one is very well recognized by retailers and manufacturers, many of whom engage to some extent on the forum. While most threads are somewhat civilized and mostly intelligent, other threads are chock full of trolls, completely uninformed, brand lovers, brand haters, and extremely knowledgeable gun owners all thrown into the same mix. There isn’t really a decent way of getting around this problem with a traditional forum, you need comment voting and threading to properly sort the great comments from the . . .not so insightful ones.

The Equipment Exchange on CGN is free and awesome. Seasoned buyers and sellers on the “EE” will pay via EMT quickly and ship quickly. Be forewarned that if you want to sell or buy on the EE, you’ll need to match these high expectations. This is not Kijiji or Craigslist.

Gun Owners of Canada is fairly new and has yet to hit the number of users that CGN has, but they’ve got some really cool contests and some good people in the forums. It’s notably less “tinfoil hat” than CGN can be.

Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum also does thousands of visitors every day (actually, they usually have thousands of users on the site at any given time.) Also run on vBulletin, the Alberta Outdoorsmen forum is backed by the Alberta Outdoorsmen Magazine. This forum is less categorized as CGN, so it can be harder to find interesting topics if you’re focused on a particular theme. Great if you’re in Alberta, still not so bad if you’re not. I’ve seen a few sellers from other provinces successfully selling their items on this forum.

If you’re on Reddit and want to talk guns, head on over to /r/canadaguns and join us! The voted post + comments system is completely superior to the traditional forum style. If you’re already on Reddit, subscribe!

Best Canadian Gun Magazines

The best Canadian Gun Magazine? There are a couple. Calibre is free, it’s great quality, and it’s available at most decent gun shops. I hate leafing through American gun magazines and looking at all the guns I can’t own, in configurations that would be restricted here, or meeting requirements over there that we don’t have here (pistol vs SBR, bullet buttons, and other nonsense.) Calibre’s on the cutting edge of what’s new in Canadian firearms, and had a T97 review at a time when there was only really 1 sample in the country. Their new website is at http://www.calibremag.ca/

Best Canadian Podcasts

Podcasts are almost like downloading radio shows. I personally listen to them on the drive to and from work, but other people use them at the gym or when reloading. If you have a long commute, they can be a great way to kill the time learning new things.

Slam Fire Radio is an off-shoot from Canadian Reload Radio, and they put out a lot of material. A 45-60 minute podcast every week is enough to kill a lot of commuting time for me, and these guys deliver. Though they put a lot of time into talking about pistol and tactical shooting, they do cover some hunting as well. Easy to pick up for someone new to shooting and touching on expert level items every once in a while. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud listening to this podcast. **Update** I’m now a host on Slam Fire Radio.

New Shooter Canada focuses on Canadian-specific content and offers excellent overviews for beginners.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/best-canadian-firearms-forums-blogs-podcasts/feed/6How to Test for Corrosive Ammohttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/test-corrosive-ammo/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/test-corrosive-ammo/#respondSat, 16 Sep 2017 05:45:04 +0000https://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=7102Here’s a quick step by step to test if ammo is corrosive, and test your cleaning system against it. Preparation A nail bed is a series of nails in a piece of wood that you’ll use as your sacrificial metal to check for corrosion. Clean off steel (non galvanized, non aluminum) nails that have enough […]

Fire Corrosive Cartridges onto Nails

This next part is best done in a garage or the great outdoors. Fire off the primed cases on the nails. If you have a bolt that you can remove from your rifle, that can be an easier and more controlled way to fire the primers. I found it really easy to put a primed case into my SKS bolt, place it over the nail, and give the back of the firing pin a light tap with a hammer to have the primers go off.

Test Cleaners/Oils/Cleaning Procedures

Document your testing procedure and products and proceed to apply your test products to the nails in the same way. Make sure to leave 1 nail that is hit with corrosive and not treated at all and 1 nail that is not hit with corrosive salts so that you can be sure that it’s not just your humid basement causing everything to rust.

Yep, that’s urine in the cup

Observe Results

You’ll see clear results on non-treated “control” nails within a day, but I found that 3 days was all I needed to get conclusive results from the rest.

Learning 1: Corrosive Ammo Rusts Fast

The moral of the story on corrosive ammo is that it rusts FAST and rusts pretty deeply within a few days. If you clean it within 8 hours, you may just have a light flash rust to clean off, but if you wait more than 24 hours, there’s going to be real, unavoidable rust on your rifle.

Learning 2: Your Cleaning Regiment Must be Thorough

Just dabbing the nails in the products didn’t help. They will all rust unless the corrosive salts are removed. That means getting your barrel nice and wet with water or a dedicated corrosive cleaner, and following up with dry patches and oil. It also means cleaning out your gas system with pipe cleaners and the same products, and your bolt/bolt carrier should be cleaned too. None of it can be skipped. The corrosive cleaner did what it was supposed to!

Learning 3: This was Easy and Fun

I love experiments, and this was really easy and fun. I’d really encourage you to try experimenting with your own cleaning products and see what you find. As always, you are responsible for your actions and if you choose to do your own test, you are responsible for the outcome, not me.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/test-corrosive-ammo/feed/0Are Guns Legal in Canada and Other Gun Questions Answeredhttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/guns-legal-canada-gun-questions-answered/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/guns-legal-canada-gun-questions-answered/#commentsTue, 12 Sep 2017 02:53:11 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=5954I wanted to do an FAQ on common gun questions for Canadians or for Americans who are curious about what it’s like in Canada. This is a quick guide that summarizes issues but does not go into detail and context. As such this article is not legal advice. Non Restricted, Restricted, and Prohibited Firearms Classes […]

I wanted to do an FAQ on common gun questions for Canadians or for Americans who are curious about what it’s like in Canada. This is a quick guide that summarizes issues but does not go into detail and context. As such this article is not legal advice.

Non Restricted, Restricted, and Prohibited Firearms Classes

Firearms are divided into 3 categories in Canada: Non restricted, restricted, and prohibited.

Non restricted firearms can be purchased with a regular firearms license called a PAL (Possession and Acquisition License), and you can take them hunting or plinking at the gravel pit so long as you’re not stopped by any weird hunting regulations.

Restricted firearms require a leveled up license called an RPAL (Restricted PAL) and can only be brought to certified ranges and back home. These include pistols, AR15’s, and anything with a too-short barrel.

Prohibitedfirearms are something you had to own when licensing came into effect. You got “grandfathered in” to own your prohibited firearms and buy any of the same class.

Are Assault Rifles Legal in Canada?

Using the Wikipedia definition of assault rifle, no. From Wikipedia: “An assault rifle is a selective-firerifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine”. It’s an important delineation, because this was a whole new class of firearms that appeared towards the end of World War II. Within Canada, burst and fully automatic rifles (which can fire multiple times per trigger press) are prohibited, so they don’t meet this definition, but we are allowed to own semi-automatic rifles (rifles that need a trigger press for each shot).

Are Suppressors Legal in Canada?

Sadly, no. Even though they’re encouraged in much of Europe, they’re seen as a deadly assassins tool here instead of as a safety device to prevent hearing damage.

Are Assault Weapons Legal in Canada?

“Assault Weapon” is not a strict class of firearms, nor does it have a widely accepted definition because it’s primarily used by non-firearms owning people to describe guns they think are scary or too military-like. It’s a political term that doesn’t have a proper definition. Sometimes it’s used to describe firearms with detachable box magazines, pistol grips, adjustable stocks, and a mitt full of other features are considered. Sometimes people use it to describe black rifles. So it’s really impossible to answer that question, because it comes down to opinions and not a hard set of rules.

Are AR-15’s Legal in Canada?

AR-15’s are legal in Canada, but they are restricted by name. Many thousands of firearms owners in Canada own AR-15’s and use them for target practice and competition. Note that there are rifles in Canada that appear similar to the AR-15 that are non-restricted, such as the XCR, AR180B, Troy PAR, and others.

Are M14’s Legal in Canada?

Are AK47’s Legal in Canada?

AK47’s and variants are prohibited in Canada, but some Valmets are OK. There are many semi-automatic versions available in the US. Within Canada the SKS, predecessor to the AK47 that uses the same ammo, as well as the Norinco Type 81 and CZ858/VZ58 and WR762 rifles are legal and non restricted.

Are Uzis Legal in Canada?

Are Fully Automatic Rifles Legal in Canada?

Fully Automatic rifles are prohibited in Canada. There are a few legally licensed owners or gun ranges out there that still have full autos, but they’re pretty rare.

Are Sniper Rifles Legal in Canada?

Sniper rifles are accurate bolt action rifles, and Canadians can easily buy accurate bolt action rifles. Many hunting rifles would fit that description. In fact, the Remington 700, a popular hunting rifle, enjoyed a pretty long career as a sniper rifle. Canadians cannot own suppressors, but the rifle actions, barrels, stocks, and scopes are all without restriction. Many hunters armed with a 300 Winchester Magnum hunting rifle are using a much more powerful cartridge than police departments (who usually use the smaller 308 Winchester). Canadians can also own powerful 50 BMG and 338 Lapua rifles, or even outrageous anti-tank rifles like the Soviet PTRD. Please keep in mind that NO violent crime has been committed in Canada with a 50 BMG. They’re expensive and impractical rifles that aren’t really attractive to criminals.

Is the FN FAL Legal in Canada?

The FN FAL is prohibited so unfortunately, Canadians cannot simply go out and buy this piece of Canadian military history. Luckily, we can own the older Enfield rifles and can even buy AR15s from Colt Canada, Canada’s current military provider of rifles.

Are Handguns Legal in Canada?

Yes, handguns are restricted class firearms that need a license and are registered, but they are attainable. They generally can’t be short barrel pistols (must be > 4.2″) and they’re limited to 10 round mags. You also can’t have 25acp or 32acp pistols, but rifles in those are OK.

Are Bullpups Legal in Canada?

Yes, bullpups like the T97 and IWI Tavor are legal in Canada. Bullpup conversion kits for existing firearms that can fire without the stock are illegal. It doesn’t have to make sense, it’s law.

How Much Tannerite is Legal to Mix in Canada?

Tannerite or any other binary explosive should only be mixed in 1lb increments. You should also not confine the explosive in a container not intended for its use or add parts around it that could act as shrapnel.

Can you Mail Order Guns in Canada?

Yes. Unlike the US, where you have to send guns to your LGS (Local Gun Store), firearms and ammunition can be ordered online and delivered to your door in Canada. Because we have a licensing system (PAL), our ability to legally own firearms can be checked very quickly. Secure delivery methods are required so that the mailman doesn’t leave your parcel under the doormat.

Which Guns were Named as Prohibited?

In the mid to late 90’s, some firearms were railroaded straight to prohibited status. Legend has it, that the firearms were haphazardly selected by politicians from a particular gun magazine. Anything black and scary looking in that magazine made it to the list. This theory has some merit as some of the firearms described as prohibited by name would have been prohibited by their operating action and other firearms listed are extremely rare or prototypes (ie: the HK G11.)

A quick selection of prohibited firearms::

AK47 and variants. Except Valmets. Those are OK.

High Standard Model 10

SPAS-12

American 180 Auto Carbine

Barrett 82A1

Calico M900

McMillan M87 (this is a weird one, many other bolt-action 50BMG rifles are non-restricted)

What Other Weapons are Illegal in Canada?

This is not an exhaustive list, but you see that ninja stuff from the 90’s was a top priority for legislators of yesteryear.

Switchblades

Nunchaku

Kusari

Spiked wrist bands

Morning Star

One handed cross bows

Short barrel pistols (less than 105mm barrel length)

Imitation or replica firearms (this one is really weird, because airsoft are fine)

Brass knuckles made of metal (plastic or other materials are fine though)

Tasers, but cattle prods or stun canes are fine.

Push daggers, but Ulu are OK.

Mace

Belt knives, comb knives and generally other novelly hidden knives.

You can be driving around with a baseball bat in your trunk and be OK but if you have a pair of nunchucks, your ass is going to jail. Mall ninjas beware. Oddly, intent is important in Canada. So you can’t say that your expandable baton is for defending against rapists because then it’s a weapon, but you’re fine to own it if you say it’s for smashing out your window in case you crash your car in water. Don’t forget, I’m not a lawyer and this article is for entertainment purposes only.

Did I get something wrong or forget a common question? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook!

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/guns-legal-canada-gun-questions-answered/feed/13-Gun in Canadahttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/3-gun-in-canada/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/3-gun-in-canada/#commentsFri, 23 Jun 2017 04:39:00 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=4392I couldn’t find a lot of starter info on gearing up for 3-gun competition as practiced here in Canada, so I thought I’d put together a ton of info specific to Canada as I found it. Don’t care about shotguns and pistols? Check out my article on Canadian Service Conditions Competition. Disclaimer: I’m just an […]

I couldn’t find a lot of starter info on gearing up for 3-gun competition as practiced here in Canada, so I thought I’d put together a ton of info specific to Canada as I found it. Don’t care about shotguns and pistols? Check out my article on Canadian Service Conditions Competition. Disclaimer: I’m just an “internet expert” and don’t really know anything. But I like shooting.

Pistols for 3 Gun in Canada

M&P

FNS9L with grip tape

Modified Glock34 with Silicone Carbide Grip

Shadow 2

Pistols used in Canada closely mirror what is popular in the US. Even though we’re limited to 10 round magazines, aftermarket support and prices are still very similar to that in the US. Glock’s, M&P’s, SR9’s, CZ’s, STI’s, Tangfoglio’s and all sorts of interesting stuff on the higher end of the price range. One difference that you may see in a Canadian 3-gun match is that some competitors will be rocking inexpensive Norinco 1911’s and NP34’s. At around $300, these Norinco pistols are a very cheap way to get into pistol sport, though their fit and finish leave a lot to be desired. The new Turkish Girsan MC28’s are just as inexpensive as the Norc’s, but will come with better consistency in quality and might make for a better choice. 9mm is clearly the most inexpensive and popular caliber used. The CZ Shadow 2 has a fantastic single stage trigger, but is slightly more complicated (with a safety & hammer) than a simple striker-fired pistol like a Glock or M&P. It’s slightly faster and less complicated to just dump a striker fired pistol than to actuate the safety on a Shadow. At the extreme high end of 3 gun pistols, the STI 2011-series pistols are amazing to shoot but are very pricey.

Here are some options across the price range, and their going rate in CDN$.

When you’re picking a pistol, don’t forget that you’ll need 4-5 magazines, a holster, and magazine pouches. Some of the more inexpensive or less popular handguns are difficult to get decent holsters and mag pouches for. Don’t buy a weird pistol and then try to run it with a shitty textile holster.

Shotguns for 3-Gun in Canada

Remington 870 with extension tube

Browning A5

Beretta 1301 Comp

Remington VersaMax

There are some special considerations due to magazine restrictions here in Canada. Pump shotguns are not limited in magazine capacity, but semi-automatic shotguns are limited to magazines that hold 5 rounds of the length that the shotgun was designed for. That last part is important, and you’ll see why in a minute. So, you’ve got:

Pump shotguns with no limits on magazine tube extensions

Pump shotguns with no limits on box magazines

Semi-automatic shotguns with limits on tube magazines

Semi-automatic shotguns with limits on box magazines

Pump shotguns with tube magazines can be the cheapest way to get into the sport. Most commonly, these are Remington 870’s and Mossberg 500-series shotguns with extensions that crank up magazine capacity from 4 rounds to 6-8. (depending on your barrel length and how far you want to go) If you go with a bullpup, dual tube shotgun like the UTAS UTS-15 or Kel Tec KSG, you’ll have 15 rounds in your pump action, but reloading and jam clearing are a lot more difficult than with a typical pump action. If the stage specifies that you start with a dry shotgun or with only 5 or 8 rounds in the tube, a KSG or UTAS shooter is totally hooped.

Pump shotguns with box magazines, such as the SAP-6 and Brixia/Valtro PM5 provide a much faster way to reload and a huge capacity with 11 round magazines. BUT, check your local club’s 3-gun rules, as mag-fed shotguns may put you into a higher class like open.

Semi-automatic shotguns with tube magazines are limited to 5 rounds, but that’s not the end of the story. Because if you’re using 2 3/4 shells in a shotgun designed to hold (5) 3.5″ shells (like a Remington Versa-max), you’ll be able to fit (7) 2 3/4″ shells in the tube, 1 in the chamber, and 1 ghost loaded and still be legal. It doesn’t have to make sense, it’s Canadian law. Check out my article on Canadian Shotgun capacity if you’re interested in learning more. Generally, higher cost semi-automatic shotguns are more reliable.

Semi-automatic shotguns with box magazines are limited to 5 round magazines, unless they’re using magazines designed for a pump shotgun. Here in Canada, the Derya Mk12 and Typhoon F12 are the most popular mag fed shotguns.

Just a quick note on chokes: try to get a shotgun that has some kind of choke. Cylinder-bore on a short barrel makes birdshot spread quick and you may have problems knocking down plates on a Texas star if you’re rocking a tactical shotgun with a short, cylinder-bore barrel. Most of the competitions I go to are well served with an IC or M choke.

Rifles for 3-Gun in Canada

AR15 Setup for Tac Ops division

AR15 setup for Limited

AR-15. Done. It’s restricted, but so is your pistol. If you want a rifle that is going to serve as a hunting/bush rifle as well as a competition rifle, you’re going to need to pay a lot more. The AR-15 is clearly the most popular rifle used in the sport and for good reason:

Ammo is inexpensive

They can be had for little money ($699 for an M&P Sport)

It’s easy to add optics

Magazines are very inexpensive, and can be had with capacities higher than 5 using LAR15 mags (10 rounds)

Ergonomics are easy to learn and fast

Aftermarket part selection is HUUUUUGE

Beyond the AR15, the real options are the non restricted AR alternative rifles like

That all said, an AR-15 of some flavor is easily the most pragmatic choice you can make.

Rifle Optics

Primary Arms 1-6 ACSS for Tac Ops

Aimpoint PRO Red Dot for Limited

Popular Tac Ops Scopes at various price points:

Bushnell AR Optics 1-4 $200

Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 $420

Burris MTAC 1-4 $540

Vortex Viper PST 1-6 Gen 2 $980

Vortex 1-6 Razor HD $2000

Popular Limited Red Dots:

Bushnell TRS26 $220

Sig ROMEO5: $280

Vortex Sparc AR: $290

Vortex Spitfire 1x (prism, etched reticle, works if you have astigmatism: $380)

EOTech XPS2: $650

Aimpoint PRO: $670

Vortex UH-1 Holographic sight: $750

Aimpoint CompM4 with mount: $1000

For Open division, put a scope on top and a mini red dot on a 45 degree mount.

Belt vs Tactical Vest vs Battle-belt

To carry your gear, there are a few options.

1.5″ Competition Belts come in a few different styles:

Inner/Outer belt hook and loop style. Inner belt can be worn like a regular belt, outer holds your gear and can be put on or taken off pretty quickly. Double Alpha, CR Speed, etc. These are the most common style of belt you see at competitions.

Safariland ELS Belt has set spots for gear. Very secure and easy to index gear locations and have them never move. These are the next most common and are the better choice for a serious competitor who wants secure, flexible belt mounting options.

Plastic buckle quick connection. Easy to put on, but can’t be easily run through your pant belt loops to hold on your pants unless you thread on your holster and mag pouches at the same time. Kind of a shitty option, especially when you need to go to the shitter and your gear is a pain to take off.

These belts are generally a better option for competition and gear that uses 1.5″ belts is generally optimized for cost and competition. That said, these belts suck in winter as they don’t work well when you’re wearing a jacket. That can be a consideration if you’re in a part of Canada that gets snow in Spring when the first matches start to occur.

It’s generally trivial to find great holsters and magazine pouches that work with 1.5″ belts, but it can be a bit tougher to find AR15 mag pouches at a reasonable price. Blade-tech AR-15 single mag pouches are $50 each from most places in Canada, which is kind of pricey. Competition shotshell carriers are generally built to use 1.5″ belts.

Vests and other LBE come in a million different flavors. Many come with more AR pouches than you’ll ever need, some also come with pistol mag pouches. These rigs can be more comfortable to wear all day compared to a belt setup. The textile pouches that are used are usually just a bit slower because they use bungee cord or velcro to retain magazines. Most use MOLLE straps so that you can add or configure them to suit you. Shotshell holders built for these tactical vests aren’t generally built for speed. But, if you want lots of AR and pistol mag pouches for a relatively low price, a tac vest or chest rig can do the job and are readily available in Canada or ordered online. Vest-mounted, cross-draw pistol holsters aren’t allowed in some competitions. If you treat 3-gun as training for SHTF, I guess this is the gear you should run. Just be sure to shout “Wolverines!” before you start every stage.

Battle Belt

A battle belt is a kind of a mix of the two systems above. It uses MOLLE attachment points, and some even offer 1.5″ belt attachment points for a drop holster. These give you access to the textile style pistol and rifle mag pouches like the TACO and can be easily worn outside a jacket in cold weather. Many are padded and are not meant to replace a pant belt.

Pistol and rifle mag pouches are varied. If you want to start out with inexpensive, simple mag pouches, Blade Tek mag pouches are great. Their AR and double AR mag pouch is excellent. For pistol magazine pouches, the blade tek pouches are good as well, but need a screwdriver to adjust tension. Higher end pistol magazine pouches typically have some tool-less tension adjustment on the pouch itself.

Bringing Everything out to the Range

For ammo, I personally love the size of Canada Ammo’s “Fat Fifty” ammo can. It’s a bit wider than a typical 50 cal ammo can, and it seems to perfectly fit just what I need for a 3 gun match: 4 boxes of birdshot, 20 slugs, a big box of pistol ammo, and a few hundred rounds of 223.

For magazines, I used to just throw them in a range bag, but a guy at my range made this slick magazine pouch carrier. Again, it’s perfect for the task: it fits 6 pistol mags and 4 rifle mags, more than enough for a match.

For a case, I use a double rifle Plano case. There are better cases out there, but this one was $50 and it fits my shotgun, pistol, and rifle in it. I use combo locks on my guns and a combo lock for the case itself so that I never get stuck at the range on on the way to the range looking for my forgotten keys. Ahem, like my buddy Shawn.

For other things that I bring out to a 3 gun match: eye protection, ear plugs AND electronic muffs, sunscreen (this kids stuff has a lockable cap so it won’t spray out in your bag), mosquito spray, food for the match, backup meal bars in case, and tools just in case. This leatherman has come in handy lots of times! Don’t forget to bring a ton of water: you’re going to be outside for 8 hours, you need to stay hydrated.

Inexpensive 3 Gun Loadout

Here’s the cheapest setup I could think of:

Pistol: $289 + 2 more mags ($100)

Pump Action Shotgun+mag tube extension: $350

Norinco AR15 or S&W Sport: $600

AR Mags: $80

Belt: $50

Shotshell holders: $60 – $300

2 AR mag pouches: $80

At minimum, it’s about $1600 to fully gear up. It will be cheaper if you already have some of the firearms or gear.

Where to Buy 3 Gun Gear in Canada

I had a heck of a time sourcing 3 gun gear, so I thought I’d document where I found things along the way.

Brownells | US | ships to Canada and has a huge inventory. Crappy exchange rate between CDN and USD right now.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/3-gun-in-canada/feed/233 Gun Training for Beginnershttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/training-3-gun-competition/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/training-3-gun-competition/#commentsMon, 19 Sep 2016 05:12:25 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=5675Note, this is just what I’ve found has worked for me. I’m not an expert, but I have a few friends starting in 3 gun and I wanted to share some training resources and findings. I’ve covered most of the equipment for Canadians in my other Canadian-specific 3 gun article, so this one is going […]

Note, this is just what I’ve found has worked for me. I’m not an expert, but I have a few friends starting in 3 gun and I wanted to share some training resources and findings. I’ve covered most of the equipment for Canadians in my other Canadian-specific 3 gun article, so this one is going to include the training videos I found most useful. Interested in finding a 3 gun match in Canada? Check out my new, dedicated site at 3gun.ca

I’d really encourage anyone out there to hit a local match with the priority of shooting it safely and learning a lot. You’re going to get your ass kicked bad, so don’t worry about that. Instead, use your first match as an opportunity to see where your shooting skills need the most improvement, what equipment you’re running will work, and what needs to be replaced. Check out what people are running and ask them where they buy all this stuff.

If you can, take a class. Here in Canada, there are very few 3 gun instructors putting on clinics, so that wasn’t really an option for me.

Next, when you’re at home, practice dry fire and reloading with dummies. For more platform-specific advice, check out the below:

Shotgun Reloading

If you put 6 beginners in a match but one of them is half-decent on reloading their shotgun, they’ll blow all the other beginners away. Shotgun reloading speed makes up for a huge amount of time in shotgun stages and should be a big focus for new 3 gun shooters.

So before you buy that oversized safety, buy a box of dummy shotshells or make some yourself. Buying is preferable because they’re consistent and nicely labelled, but you can always make some if you want. If you choose to make up some dummies, pick up some empty shells at the range in a color that you never shoot. You want your dummies to be very different than your live rounds.

When it comes to reloading technique, there are a few different ones but most people dual or quad load. In my opinion, loading in this manner uses gross motor skills that are more reliable in the stress of a match than fumbling with 4 shells in one hand and trying to shuck them into the loading port one at a time. Note that most top competitors are dual or quad loading with their strong hand. Personally, I quad load with my weak hand, but I started off with just load 2’s. I really like this video for explaining all the differences between the different techniques:

Beyond loading the tube, keeping the chamber charged is a priority. You shouldn’t run the chamber dry in normal use, but if you do, you should have a last round holder or Match Saver on the side of your shotgun and be able to use it quickly like this guy:

Shotgun Modifications for 3 Gun

Your #1 concern with your 3 gun shotgun should be reliability. It doesn’t matter how many doohickies you’ve got on there if it fails to feed or the magazine tube spring gets caught up in the extension. Test your shotgun with the ammo you intend on using (target ammo?). Reliability is why many competitors choose more expensive shotguns. Semi automatic shotgun technology just doesn’t allow for cheap semi autos to be consistently reliable yet. Some competitors run inexpensive shotguns that have been tweaked or modified to be a bit more reliable.

When it comes to shell selection, some competitors will try to run the lightest recoiling stuff possible, but keep in mind that you may sacrifice reliability in cycling on some semi auto shotguns. You’ll also risk not knocking down plates or need additional shots to run a spinner. While we’re talking about knock down power, I thought I’d mention that I usually like running an improved cylinder or modified choke. Of course, having flexibility is important, but modified knocks over plates decently and you can still run slugs through it (check your manual of course). Running a cylinder bore fixed-choke shotgun is a mistake, as you’ll have trouble knocking plates off a texas star at 10 yards if you’re using #7.5 or #8 target loads. Every match I go to, someone tries using a cylinder bore choke and has to use multiple shells or accept a miss on a steel target that they’re unable to knock over.

Top shotgun features to look for or modify for 3 gun:

Extended magazine tube

Extended bolt release (if you have a semi automatic)

Bevelled loading port (irreversible, and may reduce the resale value of your shotgun)

Single shell holder on the receiver. Sometimes called a match saver.

Pistol Shooting

Unlike some other pistol-specific shooting sports, there is no power factor in 3 gun. Instead, there are classes. For most of the popular classes you’ll want to be in, 9mm is the best option. It’s inexpensive, low recoil, and high capacity. If you’re looking at the heavy division, your pocketbook is going to take a beating from shooting all that 308 and 45 ACP. If you want to compete in Practical division, or if you’re just super pragmatic, buy a Glock, M&P or CZ SP01. All three have lots of aftermarket support for holsters and magazine pouches.

For someone new, the difference on pistol shooting will not come on equipment. Modern pistols are extremely reliable, simple to clean, and are accurate enough. The difference in pistol shooting comes down to the shooter and their capability.

Pistol Training for 3 Gun

The most straightforward thing here would be to go to a training class or two. With a trainer, they can actively break your bad habits before they become ingrained.

In terms of self-lead practice, here’s what I found worked for me: I’d watch a few YouTube videos on fundamentals, pull out 2-3 things I’d want to practice, practice them with dry fire, and then hit the range and do it with live ammo. Things like:

Focusing on the front sight

Slowly squeezing the trigger, mentally think about adding a half pound of pressure at a time until the gun goes off.

Grip

Squeezing tightly with the left hand

Practicing recoil control

Practicing long range targets

Magazine reloads

etc

There are a lot of videos on YouTube that give tips on the above. I’d encourage you to keep the number of things you’re focusing on to a minimum so that you’re not messing yourself up. You can still combine other aspects, like magazine reloading, into practice on other fundamentals. I like to run my 3 gun belt when I’m at the range practicing, because it lets me practice magazine reloads, from hand position on the magazine to punching the pistol back out on target.

Beyond getting competent at pistol shooting, there’s one thing that separates excellent shooters from newbs: what they do when something goes wrong. For this, it’s best to have a buddy to practice with, because they can induce a malfunction in your pistol that you then have to fix. Some of my favorites:

Put a dummy or snap cap in the middle of the magazine to simulate a misfire.

Put a fired case in, usually it’ll cause a failure to feed.

Beyond that, there are some dry fire drills you can do. In these, the tester preps the gun and hands it to the testee to rectify. Make sure that no live ammo is present. You can do the above in a dry fire scenario as well as:

Close the slide on an empty chamber and then insert the magazine (bonus points if you can simulate a magazine that’s not fully seated by leaving it just a smidge out)

Induce a double feed

Stovepipe

etc

If you get a squib (cartridge has a primer, but no powder), essentially your round is over but it’s super important that you recognize that squib for what it is and not be a meathead and ram another round in with force. This video does a really good job of showing what a squib does and how the gun behaves after you get one.

Rifle Training for 3 Gun

When it comes to rifles, most people will be well served with an AR15 that is equipped with an effective muzzlebrake and is topped with a 1-4 optic or red dot. If your club shoots longer ranges, you’d be better with a FFP scope with a calibrated drop reticle of some kind. A ballistic reticle makes it far easier to shoot longer ranges quickly than remembering a hold over or dialing in a turret.

When practicing with your rifle, start shooting from a bench off your elbows until you can easily shoot a 3 MOA group. From there, go prone and get the same group sizes. From there, go to sitting, kneeling, modified prone, and try to keep everything within 4-5 MOA. From standing, try to keep everything within 8 MOA. That’s a large group, and it’s pretty much all that’s expected in most 3 gun courses, but you’d be surprised to see how many misses get racked up in a match.

Aside from that, manipulation practice comes in handy. The AR-15 is a very ergonomic rifle, but it takes practice to use correctly. Practice ramming the magazine home, switching safety on and off quickly, and rapid magazine changes.

How you react when your rifle jams is again a time to shine or make an ass of yourself. Practice tap, rack, bang, practice clearing stovepipes, and practice clearing double feeds. Then, practice it all again from different positions: prone, sitting, standing, etc. A 3 gun buddy can help here because they can induce jams of different flavors for you to clear. Just don’t be a bastard and put an empty in the channel above the bolt, those can be hell to clear. There isn’t a quick way to clear that one and it doesn’t happen very often.

Finally, an orgy of my favorite 3 gun videos:

I’ll add more videos if you send em to me! Comment below if you have a favorite 3 gun training video.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/training-3-gun-competition/feed/3300 Blackout vs 223https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/300-blackout-vs-223/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/300-blackout-vs-223/#commentsThu, 12 May 2016 04:31:27 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=5812The 300 Blackout, sometimes called the 300 AAC Blackout and somewhat similar to the 300 Whisper®, is what happens when you want an easy 30 caliber conversion for your AR-15. Delivering similar ballistic performance to the 7.62×39, but using a slightly lighter bullet, the 300 Blackout alleviates some hunter’s concerns around bullet mass on game AND […]

The 300 Blackout, sometimes called the 300 AAC Blackout and somewhat similar to the 300 Whisper®, is what happens when you want an easy 30 caliber conversion for your AR-15. Delivering similar ballistic performance to the 7.62×39, but using a slightly lighter bullet, the 300 Blackout alleviates some hunter’s concerns around bullet mass on game AND makes for a handy suppressed round in an AR-15. It’s easy to convert AR-15’s to and easy to form cases if you’re into reloading. Let’s dive into the 300 Blackout as it performs against the .223 or 5.56×45 round.

30 Cal in an AR-15, What’s The Big Deal?

Within the Armalite family, there’s the AR-10 in .308 and the later AR-15 in 223/5.56. The AR-10 delivers a lot more power but it’s heavier, gives up magazine capacity, isn’t nearly as common or standardized as the AR-15 platform, and the case capacity is a bit of a waste if you want to run subsonic rounds. So what about a .30 in the AR-15? Some manufacturers offer AR-15’s that run 7.62×39, but that cartridge isn’t the best for the AR-15. The case head is wide enough that you give up quite a bit of metal on bolt lugs after hogging out the bolt head. And then there’s the case taper: which enables great semi automatic reliability but doesn’t work well with the straight magwell and magazines of the AR15. If only we could get 7.62×39 performance in an AR-15…

The 300 Blackout was designed with a few things in mind:

Same capacity in standard .223 magazines

Same bolt head

Cases can be created from .223 cases

For a civilian shooter, getting into 300 Blackout when you already have an AR-15 is pretty easy: you can buy a dedicated upper to have some flexibility, or switch to a 300 Blackout barrel for a permanent mod and you’re done.

300 Blackout Ballistics vs 223

It’s important to separate the 110 grain supersonic round vs the 200+ grain subsonic rounds due to their very different ballistic profiles.

110 grain Blackout (Hornady)

2375 fps and 1377 ft-lbs at muzzle

2094 fps and 1071 ft-lbs at 100 yards

1833 fps and 820 ft-lbs at 200 yards

Effectively, it’s a 100 yard cartridge for hunting deer. Very similar to ballistics on the 7.62×39, but lagging in power at 100-150 yards. It generates a bit more energy at the muzzle than 223 and uses sane speeds, so I think it’d be a better close range deer cartridge than the 223.

Zeroed for 100 yards, you’re at 10″ low by about 275. Unless you can range accurately, it’s going to get very tough making hits past 300 yards.

208 grain Blackout (Hornady)

1020 fps and 480 ft-lbs at muzzle

993 fps and 455 ft-lbs at 100 yards

968 fps and 433 ft-lbs at 200 yards

Wow, so little drop in velocity, but I guess that’s what happens when it’s poking along so slowly that wind resistance is minimal. The tougher part to account for on these heavier bullets is the rainbow trajectory. Making an accurate hit at 200 yards with a subsonic round is a bit of fantasy, because you’re looking at 30+ inches of drop even if you sighted at 100 yards. It’s also far lower in energy than I’m comfortable using on a deer. For boar at less than 100 yards, it’d work a treat and they wouldn’t know what hit them if you ran the subsonic rounds with a suppressor.

While the 223 crosses the 10″ down mark at a barely-better 320-340 yards compared with the 275 on the 300 Blackout, it stays much flatter further out. By the time we’re at 500 yards, the 300 Blackout is well past 90″ down compared with a 223 at around 50″, or about half the drop. That makes getting hits on man sized targets with the 223 at 500 yards fairly easy with a good rest, but considerably more frustrating with the 300 Blackout, especially if you have errors in your ranging. The high speed and short time to target also helps the 223 in wind drift, where it beats the 300 Blackout by around 50%-80% depending on range. Not such a big deal when you’re comparing a 1″ drift to a 1.6″ drift at 100 yards in a 10 mph crosswind, but considerably better at 500 yards where the 223 will drift around 30″ compared with the Blackout at 50″.

So, the 223 is much better ballistically, but given that the 300 Blackout is using a bullet over twice the weight with the same case, you were expecting that anyways, right?

223 vs 300 Blackout vs 7.62X39

300 Blackout vs 223 Ammo Cost

223 is cheaper than 300 Blackout. Since one is a NATO standard round and has been for decades, while the other is a new (2011 SAAMI acceptance) cartridge, this is to be expected. 300 Blackout is $1+ per round in the US and around $1.50-$2 in Canada. Now, if you’re well setup as a reloader and don’t mind forming cases, you should look into reforming .223 into 300 Blackout. It’s as simple as rough trimming the case to length, full length sizing with case wax/lube, and then final trimming. Tons of great 30 caliber projectiles are out there that’ll work great in the 300, so you don’t have to buy expensive factory ammunition if that’s all that’s available near you. Due to the 300 Blackout’s relatively slow speeds, you don’t need super duper premium bullets to do the job on deer and other game animals. Plain cup and core bullets will likely do the job and not lose a significant portion of weight.

Compared with 223, you can get the excellent Federal Gold Medal Match at the same price, or buy domestic ball ammo for right around $0.50 per round, or go to steel cased Russian fodder for $0.30-ish. When it comes to hunting ammo, I really think 223 benefits from running premium bullets since you stand a real chance of impacting a game animal at very high velocities if you take a close shot. If hunting deer with 223 was legal in my area (it’s not), I’d be running heavier, harder bullets to reduce the chance of splashing out energy on impact with a hard bone. For me, that’d mean a slightly higher cost on 223 hunting ammo compared with reloaded 300 Blackout rounds, but at the volume of ammo needed for hunting deer yearly, who cares? So for practice ammo, the 223 is in the clear lead, while it’s essentially the same on hunting ammo. If you reload, hunting ammo is similar in cost for both rounds.

300 Blackout vs 223 Recoil

With the 200 grain subsonic, recoil on the 300 Blackout is just barely more than 223 if you have same-weight rifles. In the 110-130 grain supersonic rounds, it’s nearly 50% more. That’s still not a heck of a lot to start with and it helps make this round a great recoil-sensitive, range-limited rifle round. For just a little bit more recoil though, the 243 maintains deer-relevant energy much further than both the 300 Blackout and 223. If you’re up for more recoil, the 308 offers greater ballistic energy at range.

Use Cases for 300 Blackout

So now that we’ve gone over lots of details between the two rounds, let’s imagine up some unique use cases where 300 Blackout would be a better choice than 223:

Suppressed use in an AR-15. In the US, a suppressor is a tax stamp away, and 300 Blackout is a better choice with a suppressor because it’s easy to find and run subsonic rounds. Many AR-15’s will only handle an 80 grain 223 bullet, limiting energy at subsonic velocities compared with a 200-230 grain 30 cal bullet in a 300 Blackout. Running a suppressor also helps bump pressure to properly cycle an AR-15 gas system with the 300. Using a good quality suppressor with subsonic 300 Blackout ammo will make for nicely quiet plinking.

Hunting AR-15 or ACR/XCR. OK Americans, bear with me for a minute. In Canada, the AR-15 is restricted, but the ACR and XCR are not. For people out there that love their ACR, they can rebarrel to 300 Blackout to use it as a close range hunting rifle. For Americans, you could have a 300 Blackout upper ready to roll to turn your AR-15 into a hog hunter by pushing 2 pins.

Super low recoil, lightweight, close range, deer and boar gun. Normally, when you cut barrel length and weight down on a hunting rifle, you lose precious velocity and increase recoil. A nice attribute of 300 Blackout is that it works pretty dang well with short barrels. So you can use a short action, short barrel, lightweight rifle, and not get beat up by recoil at all. I’d imagine this is the direction that Ruger was thinking with their 16″ barrel, under 6 lb, American Ranch rifles chambered in 300 Blackout.

Submachine gun replacement. I think most organizations have just got comfortable with the idea of running 223 out of their M4 carbines for the extra versatility in range, but the 300 Blackout is technically a competent alternative for those organizations that want a more subgun-y M4.

Issues with 300 Blackout

The primary issue out there seems to be around getting enough gas to actuate the AR-15 action. Running a suppressor helps a heck of a lot but without one, running even the 110’s in a regular AR-15 action may require using a carbine length gas system, a non-heavy buffer, or enlarged gas hole to keep things reliable.

Another major issue is factory ammo availability and cost. It’s not too expensive at major retailers, but local stores may not have any or it might be super expensive.

Since the round is so slow and bullets are very light for caliber, the ballistic coefficient and ballistics profiles in general are not very hot. There’s something interesting about a round that loses such little speed going from 0-200 yards, but the damn thing is poking along so slowly that it’s barely upsetting the air as it scoots by at a leisurely pace. The negative side to that low speed is the rainbow arc to hit your target at longer ranges.

I’m going to be a bit of an a-hole and throw one more out there: subsonic vs supersonic. You can’t really fall in love with the ability to run subsonic rounds if you want to use it for hunting or 100+ yards shooting, because the supersonic rounds are better suited for that purpose and they’ll hit a completely different POI than subsonic rounds. They might as well be miles apart. If you still love both types and want to make it work, a secondary sighting system like a red dot on a 45 degree offset mount would let you zero for one round while your top-mount sighting system could zero for the other type. Boom; flexibility achieved.

Summary

The 300 Blackout is a specialty round, delivering similar ballistics to the 7.62×39. It is most useful at short ranges but there are better cartridges for short range. Where 300 Blackout really shines is in a suppressed AR-15. It is easily convertible and uses the same magazines. So if you are looking for a really quiet time with an AR15 or looking for a hunting rifle with light recoil, consider the 300 Blackout. Otherwise, the 223 is better

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/300-blackout-vs-223/feed/2Maximum Shotgun Shell Capacity in Canadahttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/maximum-shotshell-capacity-canada/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/maximum-shotshell-capacity-canada/#commentsSun, 10 Apr 2016 19:22:03 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=5650I couldn’t find a really comprehensive guide to maximum shotgun capacities for Canada, so I thought I’d write one. First off, many hunters might think that shotguns are limited to 2 shells in the tube and while that’s the case in most hunting regulations, it’s not a hard limit if you’re using your shotguns for […]

I couldn’t find a really comprehensive guide to maximum shotgun capacities for Canada, so I thought I’d write one.

First off, many hunters might think that shotguns are limited to 2 shells in the tube and while that’s the case in most hunting regulations, it’s not a hard limit if you’re using your shotguns for other activities like shooting clays or just blasting stuff in a gravel pit or at the range. So to clarify, 2 shotshells in the tube is a waterfowl hunting regulation, and you can use a simple plastic or wood plug to keep your tube to compliance when hunting. **Edit: Provinces may have additional hunting regulations pertaining to shotgun capacity. Check your provincial hunting regs.** As pointed out in the comments, slugs while hunting big game fall under other regulations, so capacity when slug hunting will be different.

This pump action KSG can hold 14+1, no problem

Pump Action and other manually operated shotguns have no limit on magazine capacity. However, if their magazine is the same as a mag used in a semi automatic shotgun, it may have to be limited. I have an 870 that, with the tube extension and 1 in the chamber, will fit (11) 2 3/4″ shotgun shells, all completely legally. Some of the bullpup, dual tube shotguns like the UTAS UTS-15 or Kel-Tek KSG will hold 15 rounds. Similarly, the magazine-fed, pump action SAP6 can make use of 6 and 11 round magazines. Lever action shotguns like the Adler Arms A-110 are also not limited.

Mag fed semi auto’s use 5 round mags

Tube fed get weird

Semi Automatic Shotguns are a bit trickier in Canada. For tube magazine-fed semi-auto shotguns, they can only take 5 rounds of the type they’re designed for in the mag. In a box magazine, that means 5 shells. In a tube, it’s a bit different since shotguns made for long shells will fit a few extra shorter shells in. The extra capacity is super important in 3 gun and some other action sports using shotguns.

Conservatively:

5 2&3/4 shells in a shotgun chambered for 2&3/4

6 2&3/4 shells in a shotgun chambered for 3″

7 2&3/4 shells in a shotgun chambered for 3.5″

Here are some general numbers for tube capacities for semi auto shotguns.

3″ Chamber: 2.55*5.9 = 15.045″ of in tube capacity = (6.7) 2 3/4 shells. Might as well go for 6 and call it a day.

Now, if you use long 3.5″ shells or go off SAAMI spec, you may make the case that you should be able to do 8 2&3/4 shells in your 3.5″ shotgun. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be discussing the finer points of SAAMI spec on the side of the road with an officer or in court because my shotgun slipped in a 6th 3.5″ round.

Here are some general guidelines and calculations for tube fed, semi-auto shotguns. Ultimately you’re responsible for ensuring your shotgun meets legal regulations. I will not bail you out of jail if you read this article and get arrested. Once you’ve figured out your appropriate tube length, it needs to be permanently altered to capacity. You cannot use a plug or temporary device. If you use a metal extension tube, you need to use metal to keep it to capacity. Read here for the exact legal description: Part 4, Section 4 and 5.

Some Shotshell OAL numbers

Hey, look at that. 2 3/4″ shells are NOT 2.75″ unfired, instead they’re around 2.2-2.3″. That’s because the 2 shotgun shell measurements are for the FIRED shells.

What ifs

Because this law is stone cold stupid, there are a whole pile of what if’s that are frustrating if they apply to you:

What if your shotgun can take 3.5″ shells, but it isn’t marked as so on the receiver, but on the barrel, and what happens if there are different barrels for different length shells? The Remington 1100, for example, uses a different barrel for 3″ magnum loads.

]]>https://www.huntinggearguy.com/tips/maximum-shotshell-capacity-canada/feed/12How to Make Your Own 5 Round Garand Clipshttps://www.huntinggearguy.com/equipment-reviews/how-to-make-your-own-5-round-garand-clips/
https://www.huntinggearguy.com/equipment-reviews/how-to-make-your-own-5-round-garand-clips/#respondMon, 09 Nov 2015 04:49:59 +0000http://www.huntinggearguy.com/?p=5112First off, this is a bit dumb: you can buy 5 round Garand clips new for like $5. But, hunting season was upon me and I forgot and I had lots of 8 round en-block Garand clips and I needed a few 5 round clips for hunting. DIY it is! Some people use little wood […]

First off, this is a bit dumb: you can buy 5 round Garand clips new for like $5. But, hunting season was upon me and I forgot and I had lots of 8 round en-block Garand clips and I needed a few 5 round clips for hunting. DIY it is! Some people use little wood or plastic blocks inside the clip to block them to 5. I kind of dislike those because they’re easy to lose. Another technique that you can use is to silver solder a nut or something into your clip to stop rounds. For myself, I wanted a really clear way to see which were the 5 round clips, and I wanted something more permanent and robust than a silver solder job that I was capable of.

Video

Tools Needed

Dremel with cutoff wheel and stone/sander attachment

Safety glasses

Calipers

5 dummy rounds for testing

Propane torch

Straight nose pliers

Steps

Your first cut should be vertical down the clip. I started mine where the lips of the clip started to curl over.

Cut 2 is to reduce the length of steel left over. You wouldn’t be able to bend and do step 3 if you didn’t trim the metal a bit.

Heat the steel where you’re going to bend with a propane torch until it’s red hot (you removed the rounds already, right??). Bend the lip over to 90 degrees. You’ll need it hot to bend the metal, otherwise it might just break.

Cool the clip and test for fit. If fit is good, trip the lips so that the opening between them is wider and they will let the follower get through.

Optional: diagonally trip the top so that it doesn’t catch on anything.